SAFA- Civil Defense teams in the Gaza Strip have recovered around 470 bodies from beneath the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli occupation forces since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, while an estimated 8,000 bodies remain buried under debris.

Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza Civil Defense, told Safa News Agency that teams recovered 170 bodies from 17 destroyed buildings during the second phase of the recovery project, which began 51 days ago.

The first phase resulted in the recovery of approximately 300 bodies, bringing the total recovered since the October 2025 ceasefire to around 470.

Despite these efforts, Bassal said approximately 8,000 bodies remain trapped beneath the rubble across the Gaza Strip, while Civil Defense teams struggle with severe shortages of heavy machinery and specialized equipment.

In the latest operations on Sunday, teams recovered two bodies from beneath the rubble of the Maghrabi family home and another from the Awadi family home. Searches are continuing for additional victims believed to be buried beneath the Awadi home.

Bassal said the recovery project is being implemented in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross to help Civil Defense teams reach and recover as many victims as possible.

Teams also completed the recovery of 21 bodies from the Gharbiya and Batniji family homes in Gaza City on Saturday, including nine from the Gharbiya home and 12 from the Batniji home.

800 Working Hours Are Not Enough

Bassal said the agreement allocated 800 working hours for Civil Defense teams to recover bodies from destroyed buildings. However, he stressed that the scale of destruction and the number of victims still beneath the rubble require significantly more time and resources.

Civil Defense crews face enormous difficulties reaching victims because many sites contain massive quantities of debris that cannot be removed using manual or rudimentary equipment.

Bassal renewed his appeal to the international community and relevant organizations to urgently provide heavy machinery and additional operational capacity.

Thousands of Palestinian families are still waiting for the bodies of their loved ones to be recovered from beneath the ruins left by the Israeli genocide in Gaza.